After Breaking Off the Engagement, I Started Pursuing My Master - Chapter 43 - Arrival

“Mana to breathe, mana to eat, mana to fucking live,”Inhale: -0.001 MP… oops! You're out of mana points.(Pay-to-breathe RPG.)Humanity's last walled stronghold._____In the world Elio lives, every gasp of air comes at a price.A floating indestructible book for every human, a magical system that turns survival into a pay-to-breathe RPG.Here, poverty isn't just being broke, it's choking.Surrounded by barren land and a sea of monsters on top of it (No water, just literal monsters), each day is a suffocating dance of survival, a balancing act between mana for air and mana for food.In this economy, holding your breath isn't just a game, it's a retirement plan.Driven by desperation (and the city's miserly rulers that don’t cut anyone a break), Elio dives into the Book System’s trials to save his family.Along the way, he unlocks powers he didn’t ask for and starts to figure out... Who he really is.Immerse yourself in an adventure where one young man's stubborn refusal to become a statistic could spark a revolution. Who knew being a pain in the system's rear could change the world?Because in Elio's world, breathing is just the beginning of the revolution and... he's gasping for change.But hey, who said saving the world had to be all doom and gloom? Join Elio as he kicks monster butt, uncovers ancient secrets, and maybe, just maybe, figures out how to grow a tree or two along the way.__________Warning:May contain traces of world domination, an unhealthy obsession with the periodic table, damage points, progression math, and yes, even a sprinkle of that old “power of friendship” magic. Because sometimes, you need a buddy to help you remember which element does what or even help you calculate those sweet, sweet stats.A quick heads-up:Despite what the cover might suggest, this isn’t a hack-and-slash adventure. Think more along the lines of a turn-based RPG, where strategy and choices matter as much as action. Get ready for a different kind of challenge!If you want to know more about the cover:Yep, that's our first FL crying and crossing the transparent barrier straight into a pixelated, indistinguishable sea of monsters. Because why not mix emotions with chaos? She's crazy like that! (Not really... or is she?)Discord to check the visuals: https://discord.gg/W3CjfC2cw4I’m still working on it in the little moments I find between writing, editing, making more character images, etc.Little by little, we’ll have a Poked... uh, a full SummonDex! Meanwhile, you can check out the ones on Fandom with their... funny descriptions? Or at least I hope so... orzWarning 2 (Privilege 4 and 5):I just wanted to stick to the novel’s level system, so I had to add those '0s'!!! Don’t be an elephant... unless you’re an enormous one... A whale! Seriously, nooooo!You’re going to make me die from the pressure, and I’ll feel terrible!! It’s just one chapter!!! You can wait... But if you’re dirty rich and really, Really, REALLY want to support, well... okay, though I’ll still feel bad!!! orz

Hunter Cha Eui-jae, who was dispatched to seal a rift that appeared over the West Sea, was flung out as soon as he closed the rift. When he came to his senses, he was lying in a garbage dump.Starving, he was drawn like a zombie is to blood to a hangover soup restaurant, where he realized that he had fallen into South Korea, eight years in the future.In this era, disaster alerts notify people of rift openings in advance, ASMR videos of slimes gathered from dungeons were trending, and idle hunters livestream unboxings of A-rank longswords.Unlike the past, where people trembled in fear of an impending apocalypse, the future was surprisingly peaceful, leaving Cha Eui-jae feeling empty. Since things had turned out this way, why not start a second chapter of life as a part-timer at the hangover soup restaurant, rather than being a hunter?“That’s strange.”“…”“Have we met somewhere before?”Cha Eui-jae’s plan to quietly spend his remaining days as the only part-time worker at the decades-old hangover soup restaurant goes awry when he encounters a mysterious, gas-masked individual…

Ye Lingchen was a regular high schooler who struggled with exams and expectations from his parents.

All that changed after he woke up from a strange dream and discovered that he had been granted the ‘Prodigy System’. His life changed from this point on. Reading a book allowed him to learn its content immediately. Listening to lectures granted instant understanding of the lesson. Observation of a technique imprinted knowledge of the technique used.

Learning had never been so easy, and as the saying goes, knowledge is power. In this case, he now had access to a ton of unbridled power.

What does it feel like to become a ‘prodigy’ overnight? Follow Ye Lingchen on this journey to discover the limitless possibilities…

As a high-risk individual, Ye Sangsang received an invitation to the beta test of the holographic game “Criminal Files.”As a game known for its high degree of freedom, high adaptability, and extremely realistic simulations based on real criminal cases, its beta release garnered significant attention.As a condition of the beta test, she was required to livestream her gameplay.Delicate, beautiful, and silent—these were the words often associated with Ye Sangsang.As a game that had captured the nation’s high expectations, many were baffled when they saw Ye Sangsang.This was quickly followed by ridicule.“Someone like her playing from the criminal’s perspective? The victim would probably turn the tables on her.”“Is she going in as an investigator? A beautiful but useless burden?”“The victim escaping alive? Don’t make me laugh.”But as the cases progressed, Ye Sangsang gradually left the audience in awe.“The criminal!!! Oh no, lock her up, I’m terrified of how she kills!”“Investigation? Come on, can you guys keep up with Sangsang’s pace?”“The victim! Ahhh, what a bloody battlefield!”The livestream chat, once filled with skepticism, eventually overflowed with admiration.Some even began to suspect that she might actually be a high-intelligence criminal herself.It wasn’t until later that Ye Sangsang’s holographic crime scene simulations helped solve one real-life case after another.Audience: ???!!!Ye Sangsang, facing the camera: Please note, I only perform once.[Reading Tips:]1. This story is set in a futuristic, fictional world with holographic crime simulation games. Everything is virtual, so please do not draw parallels to reality.2. Some parts of the story may reference real-life cases.